Why are we opposed to this Bill?
This Bill will allow discrimination against women and other groups in the community who are currently protected from discrimination.
If this law passes, Australian and Tasmanian anti-discrimination legislation which says you can't be discriminated against for being a woman, or for being unmarried, or pregnant will no longer be able to protect you from offensive or humiliating behaviour in your workplace or when you receive goods and services.
And the really crazy thing is this law won't protect you if you are discriminated against on the basis of your religion. Someone saying something offensive to a Muslim for example, need only say 'It's my religious belief" to be protected from a complaint.
The consultation process
There have been many complaints about the inadequacy of the consultation process. From the outset it has failed to ensure accessibility for people with disability (approximate 4.5 million Australians), people with low literacy (approximately 9 million), people whose language at home is not English (5.25 million), despite the impact of the equality rights of these groups.
There have been two Senate Inquiries with very short timeframes for written submissions (around 3 weeks). The first of these has made 195 of the submissions it received public. Of these, only 19% supported the bill, 81% opposed it. But the Comittee invited roughly equal numbers of supporters and opposition to speak to the Inquiry. This meant that 53% of those who supported the Bill were invited to give evidence, but only 14% of those who opposed it. The Committee hardly heard from women's groups or disability groups, even though the Bill affects them so deeply.
What is going to happen next?
No-one knows for sure, but we do know there are Liberal MPs who are worried about this Bill. The Bill is before the Parliament and the two Senate Inquiries into it have finished. The Government might therefore try and get it through the Parliament quickly in the February sitting (starts 4th Feb).
Here’s what you can do
Write to the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, the Attorney General, Michaelia Cash, and the Federal Liberal Party members who have expressed doubts about the Bill.
Don’t know what to write?
Here is the joint statement that was put out by the following Tasmanian community groups – Multicultural Council of Tasmania, Unions Tasmania, Independent Education Union, Disability Voices Tasmania, Equality Tasmania – and us. You can use it as inspiration.
Joint Statement
EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL, NOT SPECIAL RIGHTS FOR SOME
Tasmania’s gold-standard Anti-Discrimination Act is the best in Australia and has made Tasmania a better place for everyone.
- People with disability, people from multicultural backgrounds are protected from humiliation and denigration.
- Teachers in faith-based schools are protected from being sacked because they are gay or in a defacto relationship.
- Nurses can work in faith-based hospitals if they are unmarried parents.
- People of faith have some of the strongest protections in Australia.
Our workplaces, schools and hospitals are safer and more inclusive.
The Anti-Discrimination Act sends the message that abuse and mistreatment is unacceptable, no matter who you are, who you love, where you work, or what faith you have.
The Federal Religious Discrimination Bill will end that by giving some people a special right to treat others badly.
It will allow denigration and discrimination if it is in the name of faith.
- It will take away discrimination protections that have been in place for almost a quarter of a century.
- It will foster discrimination against people with disability, LGBTIQ+ people, religious and cultural minorities, unmarried partners and women.
- It will take our state backwards.
Stand up for Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Act and the fairer Tasmania is has fostered.
Stand up for the rights of Tasmanians to make our own human rights laws without Canberra overriding them.
Oppose the Religious Discrimination Bill.
Here's who to write to
Scott Morrison, Prime Minister, Contact Your PM | Prime Minister of Australia
Michaelia Cash, Attorney General, senator.cash@aph.gov.au
Trent Zimmerman, Member for North Sydney, @email
Warren Entsch, Member for Leichardt, @email
Dave Sharma, Member for Wentworth, @email
Angie Bell, Member for Moncrieff, @email
Bridget Archer, Member for Bass, @email
Katie Allen, Member for Higgins, @email
Fiona Martin, Member for Reid, @email
Tim Wilson, Member for Goldstein, @email
Trevor Evans, Member for Brisbane, @email
Celia Hammond, Member for Curtin, @email
Richard Colbeck, Senator for Tasmania, @email
Andrew Bragg, Senator for NSW, @email
Dean Smith, Senator for WA, @email
Marise Payne, Senator for NSW, @email
Jane Hume, Senator for Victoria, @email
Simon Birmingham, Senator for SA, @email